Department of Crops Development

The Department of Crop Development is responsible for the promotion of sustainable crop production through increased yields and expansion of hectarage for some selected crops. Its specific mandate is to address the knowledge gap at the frontline extension worker's level and specialized crop-based farmer organizations. It provides crop production technical services to enhance the effective diffusion of technologies released by the Agricultural Technology Clearing Committee (ATCC). The department also provides services for farm mechanization, migratory pest control, and seed certification.

Vision

The Department is fighting against enormous and formidable challenges in order to achieve its objectives. Hence, there is need for creativity, innovativeness and industriousness in adapting and disseminating crop production technologies and provision of technical services in order to meet the increasing demand for food and cash by all households in the country. It is against this background that the Department adopted the following vision: “Malawi with diversified crop production and sustainable crop production and productivity”

Mission

The department of Crop Development in the ministry is commissioned to: ‘Promoting appropriate crop production technologies and providing crop production technical services in order to achieve household and national food security, increased crop-based incomes, and foreign exchange earnings and import substitution’.

Mandate

The mandate of Crop Development Department in the Ministry is to address the knowledge gap at frontline extension workers level and specialized crop based farmer organizations; and provide crop production technical services in order to enhance effective diffusion of technologies released by the Agricultural Technology Clearing Committee (ATCC) and provide services for farm mechanisation, migratory pest control and seed certification.

Major Programmes

The main Crops programmes being implemented by the department include:

  • 1

    Increasing national production of bananas by reviving banana production in Malawi through Integrated Management of Banana Bunchy Top.

  • 3

    Migratory Monitoring, and Surveillance and Control

  • 5

    Strengthening linkages with input markets including financial services

  • 2

    Involved in seed multiplication of legumes, root and tuber crops to increase farmers access to improved inputs

  • 4

    Post-Harvest Crop Handling Improved

Strategic Objectives

  • To increase the supply of improved planting materials to smallholder farmers.
  • To reduce pre and postharvest crop losses.
  • To improve access and use of improved and recommended farm inputs.
  • To intensify irrigated crop production.
  • To promote diversified crop production in suitable areas.
  • To coordinate agricultural production survey.
  • To promote crop enterprise mechanisation and agro-processing
  • To reduce drudgery of farm operations
  • To improve capacity of the department in services delivery.

Department of Crops Development Branches

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Anchor/Megafarm Programme Contacts.

Postal Address

Ministry of Agriculture, P.O Box 30134, Capital city, Lilongwe 3

Email

megafarmsupportunit@agriculture.gov.mw

Phone

+265 889 558 933

Physical Address

Megafarm Building In Kanengo - along Area 25 road, behind kanengo puma filling station
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